The invention relates to sample receiving devices. The invention also relates to processes for the manufacture and/or the usage of such sample receiving devices.
The cryoconservation is a generally known process for the conservation of particularly biologically (or medically) relevant materials. These materials comprise, for example, cell aggregates, tissue and organs, body liquids or also individual cells or cell constituents, particularly in the dissolved or suspended condition. The cryoconservation is performed according to certain procedures in containers or on substrates wherein the configuration is adapted to the sample with the biological material. Containers used for cryoconservation are known, for example for tissues and organs (refer to DE-OS 199 22 31, EP-A 0 853 238, DE-OS 197 25 768, DE-OS 199 05 163), for blood components (refer e.g. to DE-OS 198 26 350) and for cell or drop type cryosamples (refer e.g. to US-A-5 275 016, EP-B 0 475 409, DE-OS 199 21 236, EP-B 0 804 073).
With the cryoconservation of biological samples, there is a general interest in the quick loading of containers for sample receiving without the involvement of any particular undue effort. Furthermore, it should be possible to manufacture the containers as a mass product in a technologically uncomplicated manner and at a low price. These requirements are fulfilled in particular by hose-type sample chambers which are easy to fill and which can be dismantled, fractionated or otherwise split up in the deep-frozen condition.
For example, it is known from DE 102 51 668 to fix several hose-type sample chambers to a holding frame. The disadvantage with this structural arrangement is that the sample chambers have a very small receiving capacity with practically sensible frame sizes. Furthermore, a disadvantageous aspect can be that an auxiliary unit may be required under certain circumstances for loading the sample chambers. In DE 102 51 668, it is also proposed to use the sample chambers 10′ in the form of bundles (refer to FIG. 7). One end of the bundle is secured to a holder 20′, on which the sample chambers for example are hung into a cryotank in the suspended condition. Furthermore, a data storage unit for the storage of the sample data is integrated in the holder 20′. Further data storage units can be secured along the length of the bundle.
The conventional hose-type sample chambers have the further disadvantage that a coiling, a meander-shaped placement on a substrate or similar is required for a space-saving and stable location support. Up to the present, this has meant a high assembly work effort with simultaneous restriction of the possibilities for automation.
The object of the invention is to provide improved sample receiving devices (sample containers, cryosubstrates) with which the disadvantages of the conventional sample chambers are overcome and which are characterized in particular by a simplified manufacturing process and/or an improved handling capability with the sample loading, during the freezing operation and during the sample extraction. It is also the object of the invention to provide improved processes for the manufacture and/or for the usage of sample receiving devices, with which the disadvantages related to the manufacture or usage of conventional sample chambers are overcome and which allow in particular an inexpensive and mass-type usage of the cryoconservation.
These objects are solved by sample receiving devices and processes with the features of the patent claims 1 or 18. Advantageous embodiments and applications of the invention result from the dependent claims.